I DID IT! Almost 8 months of training and for what? To say I completed an Ironman. Not just any Ironman but Ironman Canada! 94 degrees and 20mph headwinds. Climbing, climbing, and more climbing. Richter pass, Yellow lake, and the rollers were all huge obstacles but that’s what makes Canada, Canada.
Lets rewind and talk a little about the journey to Ironman. I am a pilot and a junior pilot at my airline at that. I get 2-3 days off a week. I can bike normally 2 days a week with the occasional recumbent bike ride at a hotel. I swim generally 2 day a week and sometimes one of those is where I connect a bungee to the latter and swim in place for 20-30 min. That is the most boring thing I have ever done. I run between 2 and 3 days a week and do all long runs on the road so I don’t have to run the same routes over and over. This schedule is not ideal for Ironman as I can not get as much biking and swimming in as I would like to.
There were defiantly challenges along the way. I get bored very easy so rides over 3 hours scared the crap out of me. I started with a bike that didn’t really fit and it killed me. I live in Phoenix and the temp would get over 100 degrees no matter when I started. 3 Months before the race my bike broke. Lastly, I DNF (did not finish) Dueceman 1/2 iron. I said there is no way I am going to Canada. I just can’t train enough. Doesn’t this sound like everyday life?
Ironman training not only gets you ready for the biggest one day challenge in the world but it teaches you about life. There is very little joy on a 7 hour ride. A 7 hour ride probably prepares you more for the mental challenges of the race than the physical. So with all of the problems I realized that I need people to help and support me. There are a lot of these people but I am only going to talk about a few so if I don’t mention you don’t feel that I don’t appreciate everything you did because I do.
First there is Erin (my wife) she got to hear my alarm at 3:30am and then deal with my loud ass getting ready. She always supported me and never complained about me going out for a workout. This could be because she loves me or because when I was gone she could actually do her homework, or because I invested so much money into this and if I didn’t finish she would kill me! Danielle was my primary riding partner for most of my training until she moved to New York right before my super long rides (hmm). James, Danielle’s husband, first was nice enough to let me spend lots of hours with his wife but also gave me the pep talk after Deuceman that changed everything. When I failed at that race he assured me that I could still be ready for Canada in 3 months. Him and Danielle believed in me even when I didn’t. Deuceman was actually the best thing that happened in my training. Lastly after Danielle moved I was desperate to find a riding partner that could train during the week. I met Paul and he was awesome. We traveled to Prescott, Skull Valley, and Jerome to ride and had an awesome time. Lastly, My Dad was nice enough to come to the race. Dad thanks so much for traveling to support me at the race!
The Race
This is the first race where I had problems sleeping the night before. Go figure the one race where sleep will actually make a difference and I got very little. As I walked to the swim start my goggles nose piece seemed to break. I went to look for Erin who had my other pair and couldn’t find her. She was actually very close just didn’t see her. It was very lose but it lasted through the swim. There were about 2800 age groupers that all started at once. For the 1st 1500 meters form wouldn’t have mattered unless you were in the front. Every stroke had contact with someone. The swim went well though.
The first half of the bike is flat and downhill so that was no problem. Richter pass was challenging but I prepared for it. Got to the top and felt good. As I attempted to go downhill though there were strong head winds and you had to pedal. The next section was nice but windy and then came the rollers (rolling hills) which I thought would be a non issue. That turned out to be the worst part of the whole race. I was hurting but seeing my friend Alison made me feel a bit better but then got a flat. I was super calm and even joking with the volunteer that helped me.Off to the last big climb. At the bottom of Yellow Lake was the best part of the ride because Erin and my Dad were there cheering me on.
They must have looked at each other and said he looks like shit is he going to make is? LOL.
As I rode the last 2 miles I saw runners already finishing but I had a 26.2 mile marathon to go. That was defiantly a mentally tough spot. It was really hot and I had what I thought would be 5 hours left. It was actually about 6.
The run was 100% mental. Ok maybe the pace was partially physical but getting through it was mental. I only concentrated on 1 mile at a time. You got to break it down if you keep thinking I have this many miles left it will eat at you. As it started to cool I started walking less and running more. My second half was over 10 mins faster. My stomach was not happy with me and I stopped eating and went mostly to Pepsi and water with some fruit on the 2nd half. I saw Alison again and got a hug and that was awesome. It’s really little things that will change your mind-set. I did a lot of talking on the way back and that was awesome. Let me also say that the volunteers and the residents of Penticton, BC are amazing. The put out sprinklers and music and all sat out and cheered for everyone. As I started the last mile I saw Erin and my Dad and I told them I would run the last .6 miles. I was totally out of it but with all of the people cheering your adrenalin kicks in and you have a little more strength. Crossing the finish line was amazing. When you hear that you are an Ironman and that all of your training paid off it is the best feeling. That being said you really have no excuses for anything the rest of your life.
